Another, Cooking for a crowd Looking for Ideas

[damascusmaker]

Didn't want to hijack the other thread and my requirements are a little different. Last fall was the first time I have cooked for our local blacksmith club 2 day workshop. It turned out real good (with help from several of you here) and I've been  tagged again for our spring 2 day event next month. Last time I did PP one day and smoked hot dogs the next. Kinda don't want to do the same thing again. Also I just got the Blackstone 28". There will be somewhere around 25 guys + or - no head count yet. I was thinking smash burgers (which I haven't done yet) for one day and fried rice on the discada the next (again limited experience with fried rice). This needs to be a one styrofoam plate or handheld simple meal. My tools available list is below. Open to suggestions from the more experienced. Things I could smoke the day before and just warm up on the disc, griddle or kettle would be great. The less time I spend cooking at the event means I get to see more of the program. Also considering a low country boil like Frogmore stew for one of the days. Club president wants fried bologna sandwiches, how could I pull that off and make it special, smoke the bologna ahead?

 

[tallbm]

Is brisket an option?

I've eaten many a brisket that were smoked a day or two before, refrigerated, sliced cold, then heated up and served later.  It's always fantastic and can be put into sliced brisket sandwiches or chopped brisket sandwiches (my personal favorite).

As for your bologna idea, you could always smoke a bologna and slice and serve cold or fry up and make sandwiches to satisfy that request.

Finally, fried rice.  If you've never done true fried rice let me tell you it is not exactly a beginner's dish.  It takes some practice to fry rice to get the perfect amount of toastyness before adding the water and spices, etc.  Also you MUST have your water measured out and ready to poor once you hit the perfect amount of toastyness because you cannot walk away from the stirring and toasting of the rice or it WILL burn.  

What I describe is the way to fry/toast rice for dishes like Mexican/Spanish rice, or turmeric fried rice dishes (some Mediterranean and Peri Peri dishes).

There is the alternate approach done with many Asian fried rice dishes.  You boil the rice and then fry it.  This is simple but no where near the same taste at all.

I also have smoked meat loaf on my short list.  Meatloaf can be done as is or in a sandwich.

I hope this sparks some ideas.  Best of luck! :)

 

[damascusmaker]

 
Is brisket an option?

I've eaten many a brisket that were smoked a day or two before, refrigerated, sliced cold, then heated up and served later.  It's always fantastic and can be put into sliced brisket sandwiches or chopped brisket sandwiches (my personal favorite).

As for your bologna idea, you could always smoke a bologna and slice and serve cold or fry up and make sandwiches to satisfy that request.

Finally, fried rice.  If you've never done true fried rice let me tell you it is not exactly a beginner's dish.  It takes some practice to fry rice to get the perfect amount of toastyness before adding the water and spices, etc.  Also you MUST have your water measured out and ready to poor once you hit the perfect amount of toastyness because you cannot walk away from the stirring and toasting of the rice or it WILL burn.  

What I describe is the way to fry/toast rice for dishes like Mexican/Spanish rice, or turmeric fried rice dishes (some Mediterranean and Peri Peri dishes).

There is the alternate approach done with many Asian fried rice dishes.  You boil the rice and then fry it.  This is simple but no where near the same taste at all.

I also have smoked meat loaf on my short list.  Meatloaf can be done as is or in a sandwich.

I hope this sparks some ideas.  Best of luck! :)

Thanks for the advise TallBT, 

Brisket would probably be cost prohibitive for this event and even though I've been smoking a couple of years now, I haven't tried brisket yet. 

That's what I was thinking on the rice, boil the day before, then cook on the discada. I'll practice on my wife before the event. Can anyone recommend a good recipe for this style?

The OKC onion burgers in the post by poppypuss might be an option http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/257418/blackstone-28-griddle-for-99-at-walmart#post_1670917 the smell would starve the guys.